MERGED: Did I miss Mass because late for it?

[GenosFutureWife]

I tried pretty hard to get to mass today since it’s a Holy Day of Obligation… I usually miss those days, but I’ve resolved to do better.
I prefer to go on the actual day… Vigil masses often feel like I’m cheating somehow. So we got up early, made it there a couple minutes early according to apple iphone time. However, the mass was nearly complete. They must have started 15 minutes or more early…it was supposed to start at 7, and after mass, by the time we wandered back out to the truck, it was 7:13

Two questions:
I’m wondering, does it count as going to mass, because I was there on time, or does it not count, as I missed most of it because the bulletin time doesn’t match the priests time.

I know, it would be good to arrive early anyways, to settle in a say a few prayers before… but I’m just not that good yet! How early do y’all show up (assuming you’re not there extra early for confession or a rosary).

 

[Marchelli]

First I would like to congratulate you on resolving to attend Mass on Holy Days of Obligation as many people do not know it is a mortal sin to miss such days.

From what I understand from what I have been told, if you arrive after the gospel it doesn’t count because you have missed the Mass of the Catechumens and the instruction of the Word of the Lord. I could be wrong, but I know for sure that you cannot receive communion if you arrive after the gospel because you have not fully participated in the Mass.

Also I know for some holy days of obligation, mass times get moved to earlier times so that faithful can attend them before going to work. I don’t know if that was the case in your situation.

My advice for you is to pull up your diocesan website and see when the rest of the weekday masses are. I know in my diocese, the last weekday mass is at 5pm at the cathedral and you may still have time to catch the last mass for the Holy Day of Obligation in your diocese. However if there are no other Masses, and because you did make the effort to go to mass this morning, it is not a sin for you have missed the Day of Obligation because when you tried to go to mass it was physically impossible as no other masses are being offered in your area/ it started early.

For your second question, most pastors suggest having 15 minutes of prayer before the beginning of mass to bring yourself into the presence of the Lord.

 

[1ke]

From what I understand from what I have been told, if you arrive after the gospel it doesn’t count because you have missed the Mass of the Catechumens and the instruction of the Word of the Lord.

This is not accurate. The obligation is to assist at Mass. Not part of Mass. There is no document or canon law that states one may miss X amount of Mass and have it “count” or that one may arrive by X or depart by Y.

If one arrives after the beginning of Mass or leaves before the end, or one is concerned about not having fulfilled the obligation then one should talk to one’s pastor about the matter.

but I know for sure that you cannot receive communion if you arrive after the gospel because you have not fully participated in the Mass.

This is also not accurate. There is no Church document or law that says this.

 

[babochka]

. I could be wrong, but I know for sure that you cannot receive communion if you arrive after the gospel because you have not fully participated in the Mass.

.

It is not necessary to participate in Mass in order to receive Holy communion.

 

[vincent10395]

How late must you be until its considered missing Mass? During or after Communion? Just wandering, Thanks in advance!

God Bless!

 

[BettyBoop416]

I have always heard that it “doesn’t count” unless you’re there for the Gospel, but I don’t think there is really an official rule. My advice is to just follow your gut. If you can honestly say to yourself that you’ve attended Mass, then you’ve attended Mass.

A few weeks ago at my parish, we had to change the Mass times to accommodate a community activity. If we had not moved the Mass time up an hour we would not have been able to use the church parking lot. Anyway…even though this change had been announced each and every week for more than a month, it’s surprising how many folks didn’t get the memo. The church was practically empty when the Mass started and slowly filled up for the next hour. One couple came in just as the Communion Rite was wrapping up. They came in the main door, hurried to get in at the end of the Communion line, received the Sacrament, and ducked out the side door. They never even sat down!! Even with my loose interpretation of the rules, I don’t think those two “attended Mass.”

 

[dshix]

How late must you be until its considered missing Mass? During or after Communion? Just wandering, Thanks in advance!

God Bless!

If you get there during communion, you’ve already missed almost the entirety of the sacrifice.

The general rule I give myself is that I have to be there by the Offertory (right after the Creed) because it is essentially the beginning of the sacrifice.

 

[Gorgias]

I tried pretty hard to get to mass today since it’s a Holy Day of Obligation… I usually miss those days, but I’ve resolved to do better.
I prefer to go on the actual day… Vigil masses often feel like I’m cheating somehow. So we got up early, made it there a couple minutes early according to apple iphone time. However, the mass was nearly complete. They must have started 15 minutes or more early…it was supposed to start at 7, and after mass, by the time we wandered back out to the truck, it was 7:13

We have a 7am Mass at our parish, too, and our early Mass was scheduled to start at 6:45am today (I’m guessing because of the fact that it was a longer Mass and that more people would be there, and they still wanted folks who were going to work afterward to be able to get to work on time). But, I noticed that people were coming in after the offertory (I guess they thought it started at 7, like normal?)…

 

[tobbias88]

Intention is everything… you attended Mass despite what the fundamentalists maintain.
Why are people so scrupulous these days? Is Jesus waiting behind the door ( with a big stick)???

 

[catholictiger]

I would say this you had no knowledge mass would start early. What you did wasn’t sinful, you had every intention to make it to mass on time. You thought it started at 7am. If you have the ability to make another mass try and go to it, but if not don’t worry you didn’t sin.

 

[vincent10395]

Thanks guys!

 

[Origen52]

I have always heard that it “doesn’t count” unless you’re there for the Gospel, but I don’t think there is really an official rule. My advice is to just follow your gut. If you can honestly say to yourself that you’ve attended Mass, then you’ve attended Mass.

A few weeks ago at my parish, we had to change the Mass times to accommodate a community activity. If we had not moved the Mass time up an hour we would not have been able to use the church parking lot. Anyway…even though this change had been announced each and every week for more than a month, it’s surprising how many folks didn’t get the memo. The church was practically empty when the Mass started and slowly filled up for the next hour. One couple came in just as the Communion Rite was wrapping up. They came in the main door, hurried to get in at the end of the Communion line, received the Sacrament, and ducked out the side door. They never even sat down!! Even with my loose interpretation of the rules, I don’t think those two “attended Mass.”

My mother would always say you had to be there before the first reading.

 

[Origen52]

You had a good intention, the mass started earlier. I don’t think god takes attendance as much as we do. We sometimes forget that the sacraments and the church were given to help us follow Jesus’ greatest commandment.

36 ‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ 37 He said to him, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’

 

[Elizium23]

There is no “official cut-off” time decreed, because imagine if everyone observed that minimum, our Masses would be flooded with latecomers and the parish office receptionist would be asked “When does the Gospel start?” instead of when Mass starts. Mass starts with the Sign of the Cross. If you are later than that, it is a personal matter of conscience. If you have personal doubts about it, then follow your confessor’s advice. There is no one-size-fits-all answer.

 

[Aelred_Minor]

The way I figure it, since we are required to attend mass we are required to attend the entirety of the mass, start to finish. If we have to miss part of the mass then we have to miss it, just like if we can’t get to mass at all. What’s important is just to do your best to fulfill your entire Sunday obligation, reasonable exceptions aside.

 

[PJM]

=BettyBoop416;11360749]I have always heard that it “doesn’t count” unless you’re there for the Gospel, but I don’t think there is really an official rule. My advice is to just follow your gut. If you can honestly say to yourself that you’ve attended Mass, then you’ve attended Mass.

A few weeks ago at my parish, we had to change the Mass times to accommodate a community activity. If we had not moved the Mass time up an hour we would not have been able to use the church parking lot. Anyway…even though this change had been announced each and every week for more than a month, it’s surprising how many folks didn’t get the memo. The church was practically empty when the Mass started and slowly filled up for the next hour. One couple came in just as the Communion Rite was wrapping up. They came in the main door, hurried to get in at the end of the Communion line, received the Sacrament, and ducked out the side door. They never even sat down!! Even with my loose interpretation of the rules, I don’t think those two “attended Mass.”

The Gospel is ALSO MY Understanding

 

[George_Stegmeir]

Many years ago, way before V II, I attended a Jesuit run Parochial School from Kindergarten through 9th grade. I remember being taught that as long as you were present for the Consecration through the end of the Mass, your attendance was valid. However, we were also warned not to make a habit for being late!
This rule may have been changed since then, but I am not aware of it/

 

[thistle]

How late must you be until its considered missing Mass? During or after Communion? Just wandering, Thanks in advance!

God Bless!

Canon Law states you must participate in Mass and while it is disrespectful not to be there for the whole Mass Canon Law does NOT state how much of the Mass you must participate in to fulfill the obligation. In fact there is NO Church document on this topic.
Many people will speculate and give opinions on this but none of those people can support their opinions.
In short, whether you are late deliberately (that is disrespectful) or late through no fault of your own there is nothing that says you do not fulfill your obligation if you arrive after a certain time or part of the Mass. If you attend Mass you fulfill the obligation.

 

[thistle]

I tried pretty hard to get to mass today since it’s a Holy Day of Obligation… I usually miss those days, but I’ve resolved to do better.
I prefer to go on the actual day… Vigil masses often feel like I’m cheating somehow. So we got up early, made it there a couple minutes early according to apple iphone time. However, the mass was nearly complete. They must have started 15 minutes or more early…it was supposed to start at 7, and after mass, by the time we wandered back out to the truck, it was 7:13

Two questions:
I’m wondering, does it count as going to mass, because I was there on time, or does it not count, as I missed most of it because the bulletin time doesn’t match the priests time.

I know, it would be good to arrive early anyways, to settle in a say a few prayers before… but I’m just not that good yet! How early do y’all show up (assuming you’re not there extra early for confession or a rosary).

Canon Law states you must participate in Mass and while it is disrespectful not to be there for the whole Mass Canon Law does NOT state how much of the Mass you must participate in to fulfill the obligation. In fact there is NO Church document on this topic.
Many people will speculate and give opinions on this but none of those people can support their opinions.
In short, whether you are late deliberately (that is disrespectful) or late through no fault of your own there is nothing that says you do not fulfill your obligation if you arrive after a certain time or part of the Mass. If you attend Mass you fulfill the obligation.

 

[thistle]

First I would like to congratulate you on resolving to attend Mass on Holy Days of Obligation as many people do not know it is a mortal sin to miss such days.

From what I understand from what I have been told, if you arrive after the gospel it doesn’t count because you have missed the Mass of the Catechumens and the instruction of the Word of the Lord. I could be wrong,** but I know for sure that you cannot receive communion if you arrive after the gospel because you have not fully participated in the Mass.
**
Also I know for some holy days of obligation, mass times get moved to earlier times so that faithful can attend them before going to work. I don’t know if that was the case in your situation.

My advice for you is to pull up your diocesan website and see when the rest of the weekday masses are. I know in my diocese, the last weekday mass is at 5pm at the cathedral and you may still have time to catch the last mass for the Holy Day of Obligation in your diocese. However if there are no other Masses, and because you did make the effort to go to mass this morning, it is not a sin for you have missed the Day of Obligation because when you tried to go to mass it was physically impossible as no other masses are being offered in your area/ it started early.

For your second question, most pastors suggest having 15 minutes of prayer before the beginning of mass to bring yourself into the presence of the Lord.

That is wrong. Receiving Communion is not conditional upon fulfilling the Mass obligation.
If you are properly disposed and in a state of grace you could arrive at Church and walk directly into the Communion line and receive and then leave thereafter.